The invention described herein is a new and distinct variety of Cuphea plant discovered by me at Sparks, Md. The new variety was obtained as a seedling from Cuphea hyssopifolia. The new variety was selected by me as a single variant plant from a crop of the parent variety being grown under my direction and control.
The seedling was noted and selected due to its compact size and shape. The seedling is distinct from the parent variety and from all other Cuphea varieties of which I am aware in having markedly dwarfed internodal spacing, a spreading growth habit, and an overall height of no more than about 30 cm. The dwarf size and dense, spreading shape of this new variety results in a commercially valuable plant that is particularly suited for interior decoration. The new variety is also somewhat more profuse in blooming than its parent.
Asexual reproduction of my new Cuphea variety was performed by me by cuttings at Sparks, Md., and at Hudson, Fla., with its distinct and characteristic traits stable and perpetuated through successive propagations.
As a varietal name for my new seedling, I have chosen Table Top Bonsai.